I am features writer, covering several of the key storylines - both modern and historical - across tennis. My main focus and interest is on facts & data, and historical contest, producing an array of content for Tennis365 in these areas across the year. I have also attended the Queen's Club Championships on behalf of the site, as well as interviewing former stars such as Gilles Simon, Marion Bartoli, and Mike Bryan. After receiving a gold-standard NCTJ qualification in 2021, I went on to work for Beat Media Group from June 2021 to September 2023. My time at Beat Media saw me attend the Wimbledon Championships in 2023 and also cover events such as the YONEX All England, and write for publications such as The Independent, The i, and England Football. I joined Planet Sport in April 2024 as part of the Tennis365 team and have been working for the site for one year. Having grown up in Hertfordshire, I studied English at the University of Southampton from 2016-19. Entering sports journalism has been my passion since I was a child, and I have been an avid tennis fan for the best part of two decades.
Articles by Oli Dickson Jefford

Paris 2024 women’s singles draw: 5 key takeaways – ft. Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka
World No 1 Swiatek and No 2 Gauff star in our key talking points from the women's singles draw.

Paris 2024 men’s singles draw: 5 key takeaways – ft. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz
Djokovic, Nadal, and Alcaraz feature among our key talking points from an intriguing men's draw.

Paris 2024 women’s draw: Iga Swiatek faces tricky path, Naomi Osaka vs Angelique Kerber R1
Swiatek faces a potentially tough road to gold - while two former world No 1's meet early on.

Stefanos Tsitsipas opens up on Paula Badosa relationship – after ‘disrespectful’ criticism comments
Tsitsipas' comments come shortly after Badosa slammed 'disrespectful' criticism of the relationship.

Iga Swiatek storms to gold as Coco Gauff stars – our Olympic women’s tennis predictions
Who will star in the women's tennis events at Paris 2024?

How Jannik Sinner’s Olympic Games withdrawal affects Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and the men’s singles seeds
Sinner's decision to pull out changes the dynamics of the men's singles draw at Paris 2024.

Jannik Sinner ‘saddened’ as he makes unfortunate Olympics announcement
Sinner was set to be the top seed in the men's singles and doubles.

Naomi Osaka’s latest stop in 2024 comeback confirmed after wildcard announcement
Osaka will play a prestigious event in preparation for her US Open campaign later in the summer.

Andy Murray’s former rival says ‘major mistake’ to underappreciate ‘gifted’ star
One of Murray's former rivals believes his "gifted" ability is underappreciated.

Olympic Games: 7 iconic tennis flagbearers – as Coco Gauff handed ultimate honour
Gauff will not be the first tennis star to lead out their country at the Olympic opening ceremony

Coco Gauff’s partner confirmed as Olympic mixed doubles field is revealed
Gauff is among the huge stars competing in the Paris 2024 mixed doubles draws.

Andrey Rublev reveals help from former world No 1 amid disappointing run
Rublev has struggled for form recently - and turned to a former Slam champion for advice.

Tennis at the Olympic Games: The 7 greatest moments – ranked!
What are the greatest moments in the history of Olympic tennis?

Novak Djokovic’s Olympic Games record: Will all-time great finally strike gold?
An Olympic gold medal is the only thing missing from Djokovic's stacked trophy cabinet.

The 8 men to win Olympic Games tennis gold – ft. two-time champion Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal
Murray and Nadal are among the eight players to claim men's singles gold in the modern era.

Jannik Sinner’s Olympic Games campaign in doubt after delayed Paris arrival
Sinner will reportedly not arrive in Paris until Thursday after a surprise delay.

Iga Swiatek dealt potential Olympic blow after Hubert Hurkacz announcement
Swiatek and Hurkacz are Poland's leading WTA and ATP stars and planned to pair up in Paris.

Andy Murray confirms Paris 2024 retirement decision in major announcement
Murray has confirmed when he will be saying his final farewell to the sport.

Rafael Nadal ‘convinced’ about Carlos Alcaraz’s level ahead of blockbuster Olympic partnership
All eyes will be on Nadal and Alcaraz when they pair up at Paris 2024.

The 9 women to win Olympic Games tennis gold – ft. Serena Williams, Steffi Graf
The Williams sisters and Graf lead some of the famous faces to strike gold at the Olympics.

Novak Djokovic set to break another Roger Federer record after equalling Swiss Maestro’s milestone
Djokovic has drawn level with one of Federer's records - and is set to break it next week.

Paris 2024 Olympic Games men’s singles seeds: Jannik Sinner No 1 ahead of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz
Sinner, Djokovic, and Alcaraz lead the men's seeds at Paris 2024.

Paris 2024 Olympic Games women’s singles seeds: World No 1 Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina lead field
World No 1 Swiatek is primed to be the top women's singles seed at Paris 2024, ahead of Coco Gauff.

Paula Badosa slams ‘disrespectful’ criticism of Stefanos Tsitsipas relationship
Badosa strongly defended her relationship with ATP star Tsitsipas amid ongoing scrutiny.

WTA Rankings: Iga Swiatek still No 1, Diana Shnaider +5, Karolina Muchova +6
Swiatek is still well clear as world No 1, with Shnaider and Muchova among the biggest movers.

ATP Rankings: Rafael Nadal +100, Matteo Berrettini +32, Arthur Fils Top 20
Nadal, Berrettini, and Fils are among the big rankings movers after an intense week of action.

Simona Halep: Former No 1 shares comeback update amid ‘difficult period’
Two-time major champion Halep has only played one match since her return from suspension.

Holger Rune’s Olympic Games debut at risk after huge injury scare
World No 17 Rune is now a potential Olympics doubt after retiring with injury in Hamburg.

Rafael Nadal +74 in ATP Rankings after epic four-hour Bastad victory
Nadal battled past Mariano Navone in a drawn-out contest at the Swedish Open.

Coco Gauff reveals how she will handle ‘big’ Olympic Games debut
World No 2 Gauff will make her Olympic Games debut at Paris 2024 - after missing out three years ago.

Tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Full schedule details revealed
All you need to know about when players will be in action at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

Alexander Zverev makes ‘best players’ comment in Olympic Games dig
"The Olympics is one of the, if not the, most important events we have in sports."

French ATP star speaks out after Alexander Zverev double bounce controversy
Hugo Gaston benefitted from a contentious call in his Hamburg clash versus Zverev.

Stefanos Tsitsipas makes ‘redemption’ comment as he reveals Olympic ambitions
Greek star Tsitsipas will be appearing at his second Olympic Games this summer, after making his debut in Tokyo.

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova asks fans to vote for iconic new Lego model
Krejcikova has asked fans to help support the development of a special new Lego model.

Olympic gold medallist warns of ‘abysmal void’ of ‘stereotypical’ players behind Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
"I find that there is an abysmal void, with players who are too stereotypical."

Former top-10 star saw ‘Novak Djokovic in Carlos Alcaraz for the first time’ in Wimbledon final
"I saw Novak Djokovic in Carlos Alcaraz for the first time and it made me scared for the others."

Rafael Nadal: The 6 men to win doubles titles with Spanish great – as Casper Ruud aims to become No 7
Nadal has won 11 ATP doubles titles with six different partners across his epic career.

Exclusive: ‘Confident’ Taylor Fritz ‘believes he can win Grand Slams’ claims 22-time major champion
Confidence has been key for Taylor Fritz's recent improvements, according to a US tennis great.

Former world No 1 doesn’t ‘fully understand’ Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon final approach
"You’re not questioning, you’re just wondering what the factors are with the decision to play a certain way."

Alexander Zverev reveals ‘most dangerous’ surface as he discusses latest injury recovery
"It is not a question of one or two days. It is not like it will get better daily; it will take between three and six weeks."

Former world No 2 reveals key match where Carlos Alcaraz ‘learned’ how to win Grand Slam titles
"That day he learned that it is with suffering and fortitude that you can win Grand Slam tournaments."

The 7 countries to win multiple tennis Olympic Gold medals in Open Era: USA out in front
The United States are well clear in terms of tennis gold medals, but seven countries in total have claimed multiple titles.

Holger Rune opens up about Boris Becker relationship after Wimbledon tweet controversy
Becker and Rune shared a seemingly testy exchange on Twitter/X during Wimbledon.

Emma Raducanu’s rankings boost paying dividends with US Open announcement
Raducanu will not have to wait and see if she can play at the US Open this summer.

Exclusive: 22-time major winner says Coco Gauff has ‘something to prove’ ahead of Olympics and US Open title defence
World No 2 Gauff has been backed for a huge summer by a 22-time major champion.

Laver Cup: Team Europe squad confirmed – with no Novak Djokovic or Jannik Sinner
World No 1 Sinner and No 2 Djokovic will not be donning Team Europe colours in Berlin later this season.

Rafael Nadal makes surprise US Open decision amid hectic summer
Nadal is provisionally on the entry list for the fourth and final Grand Slam event of the season.

Tennis at Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Who’s in and who’s out – ft. Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Emma Raducanu
Who has decided to go for Olympic gold in Paris - and who is playing elsewhere?

The 5 players to win Wimbledon and Olympic gold in same season – ft. Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal
Can either Carlos Alcaraz or Barbora Krejcikova emulate greats such as Serena or Nadal?